A long weekend is coming up (here in the US at least). Before I ditch the computer and hit the pool, I want to pass along a bunch of the interesting links that I have noticed lately.

If you have been checking any bike related sites at all in the past couple weeks, you know that Specialized unveiled a very impressive in-house wind tunnel. Sounds great, but the wind tunnel will only be used for the development of high-end time trial and aero road bikes, right? Maybe not. As Richard Masoner of Cyclelicious pointed out after watching the live online Q&A session with Specialized engineers, there was a “surprising amount of discussion on benefit for commuters at the Specialized wind tunnel.” That is definitely good news. I am looking forward to seeing the results of the #areoiseverything campaign from Specialized soon… throughout the entire product line.

By the way, Specialized is already using the wind tunnel to test more than just bikes, as you can see in this photo from John Friedrich.

Lumigrids, is an LED bike light idea that takes a different approach to improving safety at night. It projects a grid onto the road ahead so the rider can see bumps, potholes, and other changes in the surface. I am a bit skeptical, but I would love to see a working prototype. Read more at YankoDesign and Boing Boing.

From lights on the bikes, to lights made from bike parts. Inhabitat posted about Ballroom Luminoso, an art installation of LED pendants made from bike parts found under a San Antonio overpass. Beautiful…I love the pattern created from the shadows on the ceiling.

S-cargo, a carrier that replaces the front wheel of a standard bicycle, was a graduation project by Israeli designer Ofir Yadan. While connected, it turns the bike into a front load cargo trike. Used separately, it can function as a trolley or stroller. According to Ofir, S-cargo is “a platform that can receive different add-on’s such as a bag, tool-box, child-seat and so on, depends on rider needs.”Read more about it on his Coroflot page and check out a video of it in action here.

The three winning entries of a 1979 “Bike of the future” design competition, sponsored by the British Cycling Bureau in London, were featured in a recent Domus post from the archive. The idea was to “develop new ideas for bicycle design, which was by then already considered a valid alternative to motor vehicles.” It is quite interesting that all three winners were folding bikes. Bromptons were becoming increasingly popular in the UK at the time, and I am sure that was a major influence on those who entered the competition.

The Lumigrids will only work at walking speed. Even at a measly 10mph, you travel 15ft in one second. The ability to scan a grid ahead of you and react to something quick enough just isn’t there. That is why high-end dynamo bike headlights don’t even bother putting light right ahead of the rider, since you can’t react to it. It’s better to shine light farther ahead and pay attention to obstacles while there is still time to react.

Well, there is nothing saying it couldn’t be projected farther out. Although it isn’t clear from the pictures on the site how it works; it seems to be too much of a misguided mockup.

A long time ago I had the idea of putting a laser through a diffraction grid (something like this: http://agenaastro.com/howie-glatter-holographic-attachment-square-grid-pattern.html) and projecting a similar pattern out to the horizon, but regular LED lights came down in price so quick that it didn’t seem worth it to develop it further. A laser will project much farther than regular light, and use quite a bit less power (5mW compared to 5W!). The size of the square would then give you an idea of the distance to an object. Or, if you wanted to get real fancy, you could design an active system that actually paints nearby hazard objects (e.g., trees, holes, rocks, etc.) with the laser, but the might be a bit tricky to put onto a bike.

So, if anything, the reverse should be done. A hybrid product where the far distance is illuminated by a low resolution laser, and the regular LED lights shine brightest at the closer objects that need your full attention.

Because anyone who’s commuted regularly with a heavy backpack (or at least us office workers who need to sit on our butts all day) quickly realize you want a rack or panniers if you don’t want crippling back pain sometime down the road.

If it’s a short commute, backpacks are not a problem. I commuted 4mi each way with a backpack for a year, and it was just fine. Buying a new bike with a wacky front end on the other hand, is awkward for the tiny benefit of having a backpack off your back. If you can’t handle the weight on your back, get a pannier. They even make backpack versions. The Scargo is just yet another product with no market.

Backpacks remove your ability to sweat through your back (or at least for it to evaporate). On a short ride a backpack would be prefered, but on a longer ride you want to be able to more easily cool yourself. Also if you have to carry something bulky it may be uncomfortable to have it banging into your kidneys. I think panniers are probably a better solution in most cases as they move the weight to the rear where your drive wheel is, but this might be a good compliment if you have to carry more than the panniers allow or need a way to carry things without the bike.

No, it’s just a gimmicky design. No one is going to buy a bike that turns into a trike, for the ability to roll a backpack around. That’s the eternal problem with “designs” – they make look nice, they may be functional, but they usually don’t solve a problem or have a market of people who have been dying for this solution. Short distance = backpack, long distance = panniers, problem solved. If you really need to carry big stuff more often, get an extracycle or cargo bike.

My main point is that this is a short distance solution (don’t try to convince me people will tour on this), to which a solutions already exist – wear a backpack/messenger bag or use panniers. What does a set of wheels with disc brakes on a low-production system reasonably sell for? This can’t cost less than $500 I bet.

Andy, Andy there must be something wrong with you, need to get better understanding of what you read!! it’s simply “an add on” to an existing bike and it’s not just design, you can see a working prototype. I find it a fantastic idea with quite a lot of positive points which i’ll skip because you so locked in your back packs. Calm down and start again from the top, this time trying to see and understand what others have.

Sorry, but I’m mostly with Andy on this one. Even if you don’t need a whole new bike, there is a *reason* why carrying a load on the back wheel makes more sense than on the front. To handle steering on the bike, it’s also going to be more expensive than any similar trailer. But even as a trailer, there is a *reason* why loads are better carried closer to the ground. The fact that people are defending it and giving it awards shows that there are too many non-bicyclists weighing in on bicycle-related issues. It’ll be a loser in the marketplace.

X15May 31, 2013 at 2:35 am -

#1- “… carrying a load on the back wheel makes more sense than on the front …” !!!! With two contact patches up front??? unloading the front on any slight rise??
#2 – “… a trailer, there is a *reason* why loads are better carried closer to the ground…” How often have you used a trailer in traffic?? you better change to recumbents to get your brain closer to earth, let alone your ass. lolll
Bazza has a point, it must go back to the drawing board for some brakes.
“…there are too many non-bicyclists weighing in on bicycle-related issues.”
From the above think you talking about yourself!!!
Rest my case, over & out.

Impossibly StupidMay 31, 2013 at 12:59 pm -

1. Know how I know you’ve never tried to ride with loaded front panniers? Having two contact patches doesn’t change the physics of torque and momentum. And not only are you packing your back pannier wrong if they’re tipping you over on the slightest incline, but you’re failing to imagine the reverse: wanting to lift the front wheel to get up a curb or avoid a pothole.

2. I really don’t know what you’re going on about here. Do you even understand physics? Center of gravity is a real thing, and if I can’t shift it along with my body en route, I want it as close to the base of support as possible. Clearly you don’t; I see the reason you’re tipping over all the time when you carry stuff.

3. Transference is a sad thing to see. It’s probably best that you’re posting anonymously. It’s probably best that you’re “over & out”.

I really like the S-Cargo. But, there is one massive flaw (if I am correct).

The bike shown has hydraulic brakes.
At 3:20 on his video you get a clear shot of the adaptor fitted to the forks – the front brake calliper is unused when the S-Cargo is fitted.
Therefore, no front brake when S-Cargo is in-use.